


tell me what you're doing on the other side

by Crystallinee



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, First Kiss, Jealous Number Five | The Boy, Mutual Pining, Not Incest If You Understand TUA, Teen Romance, ben is five's best man, fiveya - Freeform, they're all teens and five doesn't jump forward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:21:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26162560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystallinee/pseuds/Crystallinee
Summary: Vanya gets a boyfriend and Five doesn't trust him.AU. Five/Vanya.
Relationships: Number Five | The Boy & Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy/Vanya Hargreeves
Comments: 34
Kudos: 399





	tell me what you're doing on the other side

**Author's Note:**

> In this fic they're both around 16, and Five has not jumped forward in time.

It's not that he hates Vanya's new boyfriend.

He'd just like to see him fall and break every single bone in his body, that's all.

Leonard has been following them around for a long time and Vanya gave him the time of day once. Five tries to not think too much about that. But something has changed, slowly but surely, ever since that overzealous fanboy captured his sister's attention a few weeks ago. He has seen them outside the Academy doors, and Vanya was smiling.

Now, whenever Dad is busy, she finds a moment to sneak out to see that boy.

Between training and studies, Five watches Vanya go about her day in whatever glimpses he can get. They don't have much time together, Vanya is being kept away from the group even more than before, as their training has intensified. They always used to find time to talk, but now they usually only see each other at mealtimes.

Vanya is quiet as usual, but her eyes are glossed over with secrets. Five wants to know what she's thinking, wants to know what the hell is going on for his sister to not share her thoughts with him anymore. She always used to come to him, comfortable to trust him. They used to sit back to back and read in their rooms late at night, she would play her new violin pieces for him, and now she has completely retreated into herself.

Five focuses on other things; he has much more important things to worry about than what she's doing with her time. He retreats the same way; he's got calculations to focus on, books about quantum physics to read and spatial jumps to practice.

But whenever he glances at her at dinner, her gaze is distant. A tiny smile hints at the corner of her lips and for the first time he has no idea why. 

It doesn't take him long to figure out the reason why Vanya no longer knocks timidly on his door at night to keep him company while he reads, or why her room is empty whenever he tries to visit her.

Vanya sneaks out late at night to see Leonard.

He doesn't know what they're up to and he knows it shouldn't bother him. But he's not feeling generous - he's seen enough of that kid at public events. Leonard caused a scene recently; he yelled at Reginald and grabbed Allison's jacket so Luther had to push him away - causing enough fuss to make the guards restrain him, refusing to calm down. After that, he kept showing up.

Five never liked their fans. He knows Diego gets some kind of validation from their devoted fanbase and Luther secretly bought an action figure of himself once. Allison puts on a show of being annoyed with it all, but she has snuck out with a male fan at least once. Ben is always nice to the fans, accepting their gifts and drawings even while Five's smile has since long turned sharp and he's resisting rolling his eyes while Ben graciously accepts another childish drawing.

They're not superstars. They're pawns to be used on Dad's chessboard.

This Lenoard situation has been going on for weeks and he's growing more frustrated. Ben has noticed that something is up between them – besides Five, he's the only one who speaks to Vanya regularly and treats her like one of the group. There is a growing kinship between them; Vanya helps him out with homework and he brings her snacks when she's been left without after their missions. Five likes that Ben keeps her company when he is unable to.

One time Five found Vanya asleep in her bed, surrounded by scattered notebooks, and Ben had dozed off next to her with Vanya's head on his arm. Five had woken Ben up, shaking his shoulder with a little more force than necessary, and told him that he needed to go to bed before they were caught and Vanya got into trouble - she would always be punished the hardest. Ben had given him a look, but silently got out of bed without waking their sister up, reaching out to pull a blanket over her still fully-clothed body.

When Five passes his brother in the hallways, on his way from Vanya's empty room, Ben's smile is pitying. Five glares back.

He dreams about Vanya, she fills his nightly thoughts to keep him company instead.

His hormonal brain might be the reason he is so in tune with everything she says or does, but at night his dreams get more feverish. Her face, her soft hands, that hair that he often used to sweep out of her face, and that skirt of hers – his mind unwillingly lingers on that. When he wakes up in the morning it's as if he's been talking to her all night and he's even more frustrated. When he gets up to breakfast, she greets him in her usual way, a swift smile on her face before her gaze is gone again.

All this is a distraction and Five doesn't do distractions.

It affects him, more than he wants to.

Moody from lack of sleep and antsy from too much coffee, he finds himself wondering what the hell she finds so endearing about that nobody, wannabe fanboy. He's concentrating hard enough on it that Klaus remarks upon it when they're studying, seeing the tip of his pencil breaking against his notes.

Allison rolls her eyes and Ben gives him another brotherly supportive look, now accompanied by a slight smile and a subtle nod in Vanya's direction that has Five grinding his teeth.

Vanya doesn't even notice, sitting at the far end of the table. She has been working on the same equation for twenty minutes and her cheeks are bright red.

It's late at night and the house is mostly silent when Five jumps into her room. She's about to leave it, as he knew she would: she's dressed in her uniform, jacket and scarf. Used to his quick entrances she doesn't flinch, she just looks up at him and bites her bottom lip.

"Where're you going, Van?" He tries to sound casual, his hands in his pockets.

"Just going for a walk," she mumbles. She's never been a good liar.

"At this hour?"

"Yes." She heads for the door.

"Hey," he says softer, with a tone that always captures her attention. "At least tell me where you're going."

Her face darkens a shade, heating up under his gaze. Then she snaps back: "It's none of your business, Five."

He's taken aback for a moment, but he has no patience to play dumb. He doesn't like the idea of her roaming the streets all alone in the dark, with no one knowing where she is, especially with someone like that unhinged fanboy.

"It's that Leonard kid, right?" He's not able to keep up the light-hearted tone.

"He's the same age as us." Her voice lowers a note and she listens for footsteps; for Pogo or Grace to walk by. Faint whispering comes from Klaus' room; Ben is there with him again. The rest of the house is silent.

"We're just going to Griddy's." Vanya sweeps some strands of hair from her face and he gets distracted by the sight of her pink, soft palm.

The same shade of red is on her face again and it irks him that he doesn't know why. Is she embarrassed for herself or the fanboy? She hesitates a little before opening the door.

"Have fun," Five says, giving her one last glance before jumping off to his room.

He can hear her timid footsteps down the hallway and all the way to the fire escape – she's not subtle, but it's just her luck that Grace is charging, and Dad is not at home.

His mind is going in circles, he can't stop thinking about what she sees in that wannabe fanboy that makes her want to sneak out with _him_ – until he forces himself to focus on his equations again and pushes her out of his mind. He hears her return, somewhat clumsy, one hour and thirty-two minutes later. Then he decides to call it a day and go to sleep.

He dreams of Vanya again.

At breakfast, she arrives even later than Klaus, earning a stern reprimand from Dad. It's not the same as when they're younger, she doesn't get that dead look upon her face anymore, but she stares down into the floor and hides behind her bangs.

Five watches her as they take their seats at the table. She glances up at him but immediately turns her eyes away. She focuses on her fork but her hand is unsteady and she barely eats anything.

He tears his gaze away from her, but no one at the table pays them any attention. Reginald still has them listening to a lecture while they eat. Allison and Diego are busy exchanging quiet, snide comments under their breaths, Luther pretends to listen to the tape with almost comical attention, and Klaus looks as if he's about to fall asleep at any moment, weary and gloomy-eyed. Ben's attention is directed to him.

Something's up with Vanya, Five knows it. That dreamy smile of hers has washed off her face, it's empty again like when Dad increased her pill dosage a few years ago. Something must have happened yesterday.

They all have classes together this day and Vanya can barely focus, repeatedly blinking and staring into her notes. She has deeper shadows underneath her eyes. The thought of why she hasn't slept is enough to send his frustration back full-force.

He definitely hates Leonard.

Another slow, frustrating week passes and Vanya still greets him in the mornings and gives him quick glances and vague smiles, but she has no time for him. The following Friday he knows she's planning to meet that boy again. Yet, the closer to the day they get, the more nervous Vanya gets, stumbling and forgetting things.

The other siblings are not very tolerant when she gets in their way. Five glares at Diego after he's made a comment about her slowness, repaying it with a cutting remark later that makes him stutter.

On Friday night, Vanya leaves as usual at ten-thirty.

Five waits in his room as he hears her struggle with the door to the fire escape and slowly make her way down the stairs. Then he jumps into the dark street behind her, quick to get out of sight – but he didn't need to worry. All his ambush training is unnecessary here.

Vanya walks alone and doesn't even turn her head when she rounds a corner. She has not been trained like them, but she should at least be aware of her surroundings at all times.

It makes him all the more frustrated with this negligent 'boyfriend' of hers for not meeting up with her and escorting her to the café. It's not a very far walk but there have been drunk people and junkies on these streets. Any lone teenage girl without powers and any training in self-defense is an easy target.

The sway of her long hair in the chilly night air keeps him focused. He effortlessly follows her from a small distance, making sure no one else has got the same idea.

She meets the fanboy outside of Griddy's and they hug before disappearing inside.

Five stops. He should leave her here. But she has to make her way home in the dark later and he knows he won't be able to concentrate on his studies, nor go to sleep until she's home safe. It'll be time wasted anyway, so he decides to wait outside.

He's just gonna check what Leonard is like with her. He'll just take a look. If she's happy and content, he'll leave. But he'll have a talk with Leonard soon about escorting Vanya home at night. Just like any brother would.

With his hands in his pockets, making sure he's not visible from the inside, he casually leans against the wall of the café and glances through a window.

There are only a few customers this late. Vanya and Leonard are sitting close together in a booth far from the counter; ensuring their privacy. Vanya is squeezed in between the window, the table and Leonard. Her facial expression catches Five's attention.

Her hand is on the table and Leonard is squeezing it. She attempts to withdraw it but Leonard's grip tightens, holding her palm pushed flat against the surface as he leans in and tells her something, looking into her eyes as he does so.

Leonard's hand is bigger than hers, it covers her wrist now and Vanya looks even more unsure, shrinking back into her seat. Leonard reaches out to stroke some strands of her hair behind her ear and smiles at her. His expression reminds Five of a dog.

In a tiny movement, Vanya shies away from the touch.

It takes all of Five's willpower not to jump into the room; instead, he promptly pushes the door open and stalks over to their booth, ignoring the blonde waitress at the counter. As soon as Leonard notices him, he straightens up and lets go of her hand. Vanya looks numb again.

"Is there a problem?" Leonard glares at him.

"Actually, there is," Five says, his tone dangerously cheery, giving him a wide grin he reserves for idiots. "I'm here to pick up my sister."

"Piss off and give me and my girlfriend some privacy." Leonard can't take a hint, he's puffing up his chest. He has a big build, sturdy but not muscular, reminding him of Luther. Vanya looks even smaller next to him.

"Leo, it's alright," Vanya interjects, looking between them. Five leans over Leonard and Leonard glares back.

"Well, she's clearly not having a good time," Five points out, just to see the rage growing in the boy's eyes. It's too funny to not poke at him.

"I'm kinda tired. I'll see you Saturday." Vanya stands up and pushes against Leonard to leave her place in the booth, but he holds out his arm, stopping her.

"Wait, Vanya. I'm not gonna let _him_ ruin our night."

"It's okay, really." She's getting impatient now as she tries to move past him. Five likes it more than he should.

Leonard doesn't lower his arm, and Vanya pushes, still stuck between the window, table, and him. "Move -"

Five's smile disappears. He grabs Leonard's collar and forcibly yanks him out of the way, causing Vanya to almost stumble into them as she gets out of the booth.

At the same time, Leonard goes for Five's face, directing a sudden punch. It misses him – Five has him down on the ground a second later, grinning. Leonard might be strong, but he resembles an overgrown toddler swinging his arms. Five could take him down in his sleep.

"Listen to the lady, asshole." It's the first rule he's making clear, as Leonard recovers and goes for his legs, meaty fingers trying to claw at them. Five moves before he has a chance to grab him.

"You think you're so smart, wonderboy!" Leonard breathes heavily as he stumbles to his feet, taking another swing with his fists. Five appears behind him and sweeps him to the ground again, hitting his head hard on the linoleum floor. Five's shoe presses down on his chest and he groans.

The waitress rushes over. "Boys, stop this!"

Vanya looks wide-eyed between them, but doesn't seem very concerned. Five dusts his jacket off, giving Leonard one last look as he removes his shoe from his chest. 

"Let's go, Vanya."

Leonard groans as he sits up, panting. "Vanya, wait -"

"I have to go." Vanya only gives her boyfriend a quick glance and Five can't hide his smugness.

She follows him into the chilly night. The streets are shiny from light rain and it's almost nice. It's like the two of them have been eating donuts like they used to, when Vanya felt at ease and never looked like she had tonight.

"Why did you come, Five?" Vanya asks as soon as they've crossed the street.

"I was passing by. Figured I'd say hi." He shrugs it off with a casual tone.

"Dad would get mad if he found out you're sneaking around."

"I could say the same to you." He glances back at her. She keeps her gaze focused straight ahead of her. Vanya has started getting bolder during the past year. She's not as afraid of sneaking out or breaking the rules – ever so slightly she's starting to become like the rest of them. Five likes that.

He thinks about Leonard's hand curled too tight around hers and his fists tighten in his pockets. "What do you see in that guy, Vanya?"

She hides her face behind her hair as they keep walking, side by side. None of them are in any hurry to get home.

"You looked like you weren't having fun," he presses, his casual tone slipping just slightly. The thought of Leonard getting angry around Vanya makes him want to go back – without her.

"He was just being weird." Vanya shrugs. When Five keeps looking at her, wordlessly asking her to elaborate, their old trust is there. "I don't know what's up with him, he's just become weird lately."

"Weird how?"

"It's hard to explain."

It takes a lot of effort to keep his voice patient. "You haven't seen him in public – he's all over us, yelling and shouting."

"He's not like that with me," she retorts.

He stops to look her in the eye. It's rare for them to ever argue, but he can't back down this time. "Are you _serious_ , Vanya?"

Her shoulders tense up. "At least he always has time for me!"

It's a dig at him and Five knows it, but he pushes. "And he won't let you go home when you want to?"

"Why do you care? Are you jealous because I'm finally spending time with someone else than you?"

"Of course I'm _not_ –" 

She's already turned and walked off into another direction, finding a parallel street.

"Wait! He hurries after her. She walks quickly with determined, stiff steps, her shoulders drawn up to her ears.

"Vanya– Vanya, listen to me!"

She ignores him, but he can hear her sniffling all the way from here.

Fuck.

Vanya is so focused on walking that she barely looks where she's going, stumbling on the sidewalk without taking notice of the cars passing by. She regains her balance but walks faster. Five is by her side a moment later, his arm catches her waist to pull her out of the street and back onto the sidewalk.

He hears her gasp before he registers anything else, and then their bodies are pressed against each other, her bare hand touches his. He pulls away as if he's been burned, quickly putting distance between them.

Her eyes are wide and her face is flushed again. It distracts his body even though his mind tries to stay level-headed. The imprint of her smaller body against his is burned into his memory. She's _too_ close. And yet, a part of him wants to pull her closer.

"I thought I found someone who didn't care that I'm ordinary," she says. "But he hates you. I think he hangs out with me because I'm the only one who is."

"You're anything but ordinary, Vanya!" Five can't keep his composure. "I know you better than he does."

For a moment they look at each other in silence. Then her hand brushes his, as if by accident. An electric spark jolts through his body and she steps closer to him.

"We should go. Watch your steps." He leads the way and she catches up. He needs to focus, and get her home before anyone notices that they're gone.

After a few minutes in silence, she speaks up. "I wanted to go home."

"What did he do?"

"He... said some things. About you and the others. He said I shouldn't be around you... because you all think I'm a liability. It's better for myself if I distance myself from you if I - If I start early."

Five unclenches his jaw to speak to her. She looks crushed and he hates it. Hates Leonard. It would just be Leonard's luck if he somehow got pushed into traffic any day soon. As he's wallowing in that thought, Vanya suddenly wraps her arms around him. Her body is once again so close to his that he can't focus and her breathing tickles his neck.

"I don't want to be apart from you," she mumbles. "Even if I'm ordinary."

His hand touch her hair; it's an ingrained reflex whenever she's close, feeling the smooth texture of it. Her face is pressed against his neck and he stands perfectly still, to not let her know what her warm, shuddering presence is doing to his entire being.

"You don't have to," he promises her intently. "We're going to stick together, Vanya. I'm not going to let him, or anyone else separate us."

Vanya makes a little sound and looks up at him. Her eyes are filled with the depth of every word she doesn't speak. She looks as if she's hesitating, her cheeks are so invitingly flushed pink and -

Then, she tentatively brushes her lips against his.

It strikes him like a blow, he can't form a single coherent thought when her soft lips are on his, the warmth of her body still pressing up against him.

When she pulls back, he's out of breath. " _Vanya_ –"

She gives him a small smile. Without thinking he pulls her closer, buries his hands in her soft hair, and kisses her again.

He would lie if he said he hasn't thought about it before. They've been like this for years, ever since they both started growing into their teenage bodies, their natural closeness exchanged into something deeper. It sparks something else inside of him, too - knowing Vanya chose _him_. She chose him, but why wouldn't she? After this, they're in too deep. They've always been.

His hand lingers at the back of her head, fingers entangling in her strands.

"What about your fanboy?" he asks when they finally reach their home, making their way to the fire escape in the dark of the night. He just wants to forget all about the rest of the world and sleep by her side tonight.

She shrugs. "I thought he would be my friend, but he wanted to take it further. I think I'm going to break up with him."

Five can't hide his smirk, planning this out in his head. "Oh, I'll take care of that."

He half-expects her to object - he will let her handle it herself if she insists, but she doesn't. She jabs an elbow at him, but she looks happier again. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

He follows her back into the house. "You have no idea."

**Author's Note:**

> I worked waaay too long on this piece, so I'm really happy about any feedback.  
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
